News in Brief

GNPC hopeful of Voltaian Basin project

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has said the present mission is to identify the existence of a petroleum system in the Voltaian Basin which holds great potential of defining the Corporation as operator in the future, its acting Chief Executive Mr. Alex Mould has said.

Mr. Mould launching its national stakeholder engagement on the Voltaian Basin Project, ahead of commencing preliminary seismic work, said: “We cannot do this alone,” emphasising the importance of their role in the project.

He said GNPC will engage also stakeholders in the forefront districts on the project, from this month, ahead of preliminary seismic work in the basin and was hopeful that the participants, drawn from some ministries and state organisations, were going to contribute and assist the GNPC identify all issues worth considering in undertaking this all-important national project.

The GNPC’s Voltaian Basin Project (VBP) team, led by Mr. Ebenezer Apesegah, Manager- Geology, briefed participants on the scope of the project, processes involved, and potential impact, as well as mitigation options available to address them.

Some of the participants were the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mahama Ayariga, his Deputy, Dr. Alfred Sugri Tia, and directors of the Ministry, Deputy Minister for Petroleum, Mr. Ben S. K. Dagadu, and Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Emmanuel Kojo Agyekum.

Mr. Ayariga called for collaboration and co-operation among all stakeholders, and assured them of the Ministry’s support.
Mr. Daniel Amlalo, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), advised prospective applicants for permits to submit their work on time so they get their results in good time.
The Director of the Geological Survey Department (GSD), Mr. John Agyei Duodu, commending GNPC for the forum, called on stakeholders to see the project as a national needing collective support.
Other ministries represented at the programme were the Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Roads and Highways, and Ministry for the Interior, Ministry of Transport, and Ministry of Health.
There were over 50 participants, including delegates from the Ghana Forestry Commission, Geological Survey Department, Petroleum Commission, Department of Feeder Roads, Ghana Highways Authority, Department of Urban Roads, Ghana Health Service, National Communications Authority (NCA), Ghana Police Service, Ghana Army, and Ghana Wildlife Society.
The rest were the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST), and Ghana Grid Company Limited (Gridco), Ghana Health Service, Water Resources Commission, Ghana Police Service, Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana National Fire Service, and National Security.
The participants were in seven session groups, namely, Security, Compensation and Information Dissemination, Regulation and Permitting, Health and Emergency Response, Transportation, the Ecosystem, and Transmission Lines.
The various groups dialogued to identify potential issues of concern in the subject areas, and recommended measures to prevent them from occurring or addressing them when they occurr.
The Director of Operations of the GNPC, Mr. Thomas Manu, expressed appreciation to the participants for taking time off their busy schedules to be at the programme, and assured them of continued consultations and collaboration with them.

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